Laura Carleton’s murder captured on store camera as killer’s history revealed – live

Skylar Baker-Jordan writes for Independent Voices:

“It was only a matter of time.”

That was my first thought upon hearing of the callous and hateful murder of Laura Carleton, the owner of Mag Pi Clothing in Cedar Glen, California. A straight woman, Carleton was fatally shot by a man who confronted her over an LGBTQ+ Pride flag which was displayed at her shop. Her assailant was later killed by police.

This was not the first time someone had taken issue with Carleton’s Pride flag. As The Independent has previously reported, friends of Carleton say that the flag has been ripped down multiple times. Every time, she simply replaced the flag with another, refusing to cave in to the hateful bigots who vandalized her shop.

The inevitability of something like this happening was apparent to anyone paying attention.

Travis Ikeguchi had been spewing anti-LGBTQ+ content on social media for quite some time.

Behind his keyboard, the 27-year-old California man was posting images of burning Pride flags and lashing out at the LGBT+ community as well as law enforcement.

Rachel Sharp has the details.

A mother-of-nine who proudly displayed a Pride flag outside her California store. A gay man who danced to a Beyoncé song in Brooklyn. Five patrons killed in a mass shooting at an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado.

All were appalling attacks against the LGBTQ+ community and their allies in recent months. From the disruption of drag show story hours to threats against retail employees for selling Pride merchandise, the rising threat of violence is terrifying, but unfortunately unsurprising, Sarah Moore, an Anti-LGBTQ+ Extremism Analyst, told The Independent.

Andrea Cavallier reports.

Travis Ikeguchi appeared to “flinch” before fatally shooting Laura Carleton at her Mag.Pi clothing store in Glen Cedar, according to a new report.

Authorities say Ikeguchi hurled homophobic slurs during a heated argument over a Pride flag proudly displayed outside of Carleton’s store before firing a single shot that killed the 66-year-old mother of nine.

An acquaintance who viewed the disturbing footage told the Times that Ikeguchi momentarily paused before opening fire.

“He then almost flinched as if thinking twice but then went for it, grabbed the gun and then aimed it and shot Lauri,” the acquaintance told the Times.

“That caused her to fall back onto the floor, and then the door swung closed, and then he shot one shot through that door and then took off.”

Carleton remained in the store and was holding a mobile phone throughout the deadly altercation, the acquaintance said.

Ikeguchi was shot and killed nearby after opening fire on San Bernardino County Sheriff’s deputies.

A spokesperson for the sheriff’s office told The Independent that deputies do not have body worn cameras or dash cameras.

Laura Carleton, known as “Lauri” was 66 years old and was the owner of a clothing store called Mag.Pi, located in Cedar Glen, near San Bernadino in Southern California.

According to the official Mag.Pi store website, her love for fashion was sparked during her teenage years.

She started her career working in the family business at Fred Segal Feet in Los Angeles while attending the Art Center School of Design. She then made her way to Joseph Magnin Century City and began running the “top fashion” show floor.

Progressing in her fashion career, Carleton joined Kenneth Cole and remained there for over 15 years, where she worked with factory and design teams in Italy and Spain.

The designer travelled with her husband Bort across the US, Europe and South America, which fuelled her love for design, fashion, food, fine art and architecture.

Carleton said Mag.Pi,strives to tackle “everyday life with grace and ease and continuing to dream.”

Faiza Saqib has the full story.

Hollywood director Paul Feig has spoken out about an “absolutely false” rumour spreading on social media about his friend Lauri Carleton’s murder.

Prior to authorities naming Travis Ikeguchi as the gunman, social media was rampant with bogus claims that the victim’s brother was involved.

On Monday, Mr Feig took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to shut down the claims.

“I can’t believe I actually have to address this but this is absolutely false. Totally and absolutely. The police for some reason still haven’t released the identity of the shooter but he was of no relation to Lauri. Zero. Gang, we all have to calm the rhetoric down. All of us.”

A memorial fund has been set up to help champion causes and values that Lauri Carleton supported.

“Lauri was a pillar in our community, an unwavering champion of values that sought to break down barriers and build bridges,” the fundraiser states.

“Her dedication to equality and her courage in flying the LGBTQ+ flag exemplify her commitment to creating a world where love knows no boundaries.”

The fund has been established by the Mountain Provisions Cooperative in Lake Arrowhead, which Carleton was a founding member of.

Anyone wishing to make a donation or find out more information can do so here.

The father of a gunman who killed a “true LGBTQ+ ally” for displaying a Pride flag outside her clothing store is a decorated Florida Highway Patrol state trooper, according to public records.

Travis Kirby Ikeguchi, 27, yelled “many homophobic slurs” at Laura Ann Carleton before fatally shooting her outside of Mag.Pi fashion store in Glen Cedar, California, on Friday, San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus said on Monday.

According to public records, his father David Jay Ikeguchi, 63, is a 35-year veteran state trooper with the Florida Highway Patrol based in Orlando.

According to Mr Ikeguchi Sr’s LinkedIn profile, he is a firearms and active shooter instructor with the Florida Highway Patrol.

Travis Ikeguchi had a burning Pride flag pinned to the top of his account on X, and retweeted a post comparing Nazi children with swastika flags to schoolchildren with Pride flags.

He also posted paranoid, threatening messages about police officers.

On June 27, he posted on Twitter: “DO NOT TRUST COPS… Do not follow their traps they want to know everything about you to catch you and used against you in court and lie about you. Watch out their sociopathic schemes.”

In a 2021 post on the right-wing social media site Gab, Ikeguchi spoke chillingly of killing police officers.

“I know it’s controversial for me to mention the option to kill a police officer, but these police officers are not the servants for the people they are the servants for the laws,” the post read.

A mother-of-nine who proudly displayed a Pride flag outside her California store. A gay man who danced to a Beyoncé song in Brooklyn. Five patrons killed in a mass shooting at an LGBTQ+ nightclub in Colorado.

All were appalling attacks against the LGBTQ+ community and their allies in recent months. From the disruption of drag show story hours to threats against retail employees for selling Pride merchandise, the rising threat of violence is terrifying, but unfortunately unsurprising, Sarah Moore, an Anti-LGBTQ+ Extremism Analyst, told The Independent.

Andrea Cavallier reports.

Anti-LGBTQ+ hatred and violence is “out of control” in the United States, according to Wendy Via, co-founder of Global Project Against Hate and Extremism.

“Yet again, anti-LGBTQ+ hate turned to violence, and an innocent woman tragically lost her life,” Ms Via said in a statement.

“Now, an entire community is not only reeling from the tragic death, but LGBTQ+ people and their allies everywhere are once again reminded in the worst possible way of the very real threat of hate and violence they face every day.”

Ms Via said that efforts to demonise and intimidate the LGBTQ+ community had increased globally in the past year.

“It would be naive to separate these violent attacks from the anti-LGBTQ+ efforts of some politicians and far-right organisations,” she said.

“As we’ve said before, the relentless dehumanization and demonization of LGBTQ+ people by far-right politicians, extremist religious leaders, and hateful ideology adherents — often spread online — will continue to result in violence if this rhetoric and push for irrational, hateful, and rights-restricting legislation isn’t stopped.”